Looking The Other Way Series

WHY IS LIFE SACRED? Today, in the wake of the anniversary of the landmark decision of Roe V. Wade, which legalized abortion in America, we join with millions upon millions of followers of Christ to observe Sanctity of Life Sunday which is a day set aside to stand up for our biblical convictions regarding the value, sanctity and sacredness of life, whether it be inside or outside of the womb. Having our minds molded and shaped by God’s very Word we understand that life is sacred because God is the giver of all life and that life is to be highly valued by all because the life that has been given to every human is, as broken as it may be, made in the image of God. Life is not a political issue, as some would like to think, life is a biblical issue and the power to determine the value, sacredness and sanctity of life lies not with the throne in Washington D.C but with the throne in heaven whom God alone occupies. Therefore, this is a day to come together and celebrate life. This is a day to come together and thank God for life. This is a day to come together and cry out to God for those with no voice and beg of Him to move in a mighty way and to straighten out the mess that is our world. This is a day to come together and hear from the Lord how we are to live as those who affirm the Sanctity of Life.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL BIBLE TALK. I will admit that the message today is not your typical Sanctity of Life message. For those who were looking for such let me draw our attention to PSALM 139:13-16. This is just one passage of Scripture among many that reveals to us that life is not simply the product of coincidental biological processes that take place in the human body. The processes that take place in the womb, even in the joining together of sperm and egg, are God’s handiwork as He forms life. Because of this we understand that life, whether it be two minutes old in the womb, 20 old in the universities, or 82 years old is sacred because God is the giver of life. Therefore, man does not have the authority to determine when life begins and furthermore nor do they have the authority to determine when a life should end. I have taught extensively from this pulpit about what the Bible has to say about life and the hot topic issue of abortion from this passage and others and God’s Word has not changed and therefore neither have I.

I want us to think about this idea today. If we as followers of Jesus are going to stand up for the Sanctity and Sacredness of Life as we should, based upon God’s very word, then we need to make sure that we are seeing this conviction through. For instance, when we make the statement that we affirm the Sanctity and Sacredness of Life then we are saying, as a people with biblically shaped convictions, that we value all life—inside and outside of the womb. American and Afghani. North American and Asian. Black and White. Rich and Poor. Educated and Uneducated. Having said this, let us turn our attention to

The Mind LUKE 10:25-28

Jesus was approached by an expert of the Law. His intentions were disingenuous for he was looking for a way to lure Jesus into publicly contradicting the Law of God so that they would have evidence for their case against Him. The question he poses is one of monumental importance. The way he asks the question though is telling. He inquires about eternal life but the way he does reveals that he doesn’t even begin to understand the elementary principles about eternal life because he asks “what must I do to inherit eternal life.” This lawyer, representative of the Jewish religious beliefs at the time, thinks that eternal life is a matter of doing. Jesus entertains his question by asking him what he understands the Scriptures to teach. The lawyer, with a determined mind, spouts off his religious beliefs/convictions that were formed by the Word of God when he says “LOVE GOD. LOVE OTHERS.” Jesus affirms his religious conviction and belief and then tells him to go and do what he says he believes and is convinced of.

The Heart LUKE 10:29

Jesus affirms the lawyers beliefs/convictions and then tells him to go and do what he says he believes. This is where it gets awkward for the lawyer because is suddenly caught between this area between a determined mind and an unchanged heart. His mind is set in his beliefs but his heart, being unchanged, does not produce in him fruit that confirms his beliefs. He tries to get out of this awkward situation by asking Jesus to define the parameters where this idea of loving others is to be lived out. He wants to know who exactly it is that qualifies to be one who he loves like himself. Jesus gets straight to the point as He always does when asked a question by people with impure motives. The parable that Jesus employs for teaching never addresses the question that the lawyer asked. The lawyer wants to determine in his mind who it is that he should be concerned with in regards to loving as himself. THIS IS WHAT RELIGION AND RELIGOIUS PEOPLE DO. THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT TO DO, HOW TO DO IT AND WHO TO DO IT TO SO THAT THEY MAY BE SET FOR ETERNITY. Jesus, in the telling of this parable, never even entertains what the lawyer is asking but deals with a deeper issue.